Putting the miles in

Well as usual i have been less than frequent in my blog updates and that is a little bit like how my cycling has been going just recently. Looking back at my last blog i was determined to be getting to a good level of fitness by the end of April and EEK it's now the beginning of April. I'm now in slight panic mode having had an enforced complete two week break from cycling, apart from cycling to work, due to getting ill YET again ( i think the bugs from keira's school, georgia's nursery and the hospital where i work have just all taken residence in my body) and now i have to restart in earnest. ( Tomorrow)
At least in my last blog i was still at the starting out stage and since then i have been going on and enjoying regular long cycles, and now have a fitted mileometer to show me exactly how far i am going which helps! I,ve had a few more cycles out towards the moors but have gone a bit further to tavistock and back, and next time it is nice i may try a loop from princetown to tavy and back. One of my first cycles was in the south hams going out to Newton ferrers and Noss mayo and back, which was a lovely scenic ride through country lanes but a bit hary on the section between kitley and Yealmpton with lorries flying past. Then turning right at Kitley i went up the longest steepest hill that had me panting in the lowest gear but determined not to get off i made it all the way to the top and was quite proud of myself. After all that i got as far as the ship inn but didnt actually stay for a drink and headed straight back. ( How stupid am i?)
Even more stupid than that, i headed out for a long ride three mondays ago( the ride that ultimately lead to my jelly legged decline) It was a beautiful day, so i got the cremyl ferry straight to cornwall, and immediately set off from Mount edgcume at 11am, and discovered that it was a long hilly climb until the next flat bit. Still, great training and it was beautiful scenery. I had a lovely cycle on towards penlee point and Rame peninsula, cawsand, and then all along the curve of whitsand bay, and then thought about getting something for lunch. ( I didnt take anything other than juice with me in my rush to get out, not even teeny weeny little snacks) I passed the sign for one pub i used to like years ago, but headed past it and then came across another with a nice beer garden. But rather than just stop there i thought i'd just head down the hill to Sheviock and see where exactly the whitsand bay hotel was, as i'd heard it was nice. So i went down had a quick look at the view then decided i would head back to the original pub i had spotted. Then i had a ridiculously steep hill past the Golf course to climb just to get to the main road, then headed back to the turnoff to the first pub i saw, headed back down another steep hill, was greeted by the owner who said they only did food at weekends, so then had to go back up this bloody ridiculous hill again. (It did defeat me in the end and i had to get off and walk) then cycled back to the pub with the beer garden and then on a complete whim( having now gone past this pub four times and probably confusing the hell out of the punters in the patio) i decided to take the turning that said " Seaton, 7 miles"
When i took the turning, i thought 7 miles isnt far, but of course it was 1 o'clock, i had been cycling for two hours and i then discovered it was 7 or 8 miles of hilly country roads with no end in sight.
Every time i came around a corner i thought i would see the long track i remember leading down to the sea, but it was just more country roads. My stomach was rumbling, i was really thirsty too having downed all my juice, and it suddenly occurred to me when i was equdistant between sheviock and seaton that should i have a puncture i would not know what to do. ( even if i did have a puncture repair Kit on me)
Anyway, having previously been dreaming of a lovely lunch at seaton admiring the scenery i ended up having a cheese and onion pasty ( cold but home made from the local shop) on the beach in downderry, as i didnt want to chance the final led to seaton once i had found civilisation only to discover that food was a further 5 miles away. And yes i did waver between the healthy sandwich and drink and the pasty and thought sod it i've earnt the pasty. So i had a half hour pit stop then set off again at 2:15 determined to make it back to pick keira from school, but it was another hour then of more hills back to the torpoint Ferry. Still, i arrived home having cycled 40 miles, far more than the 25 -30 i had been doing up until then. But as i say was pooped the next day and just as i was recovering picked up another bug. My first venture out since then was on sunday, when i was still feeling quite hot and fluey but it was a lovely day, and i managed to fit in 23 miles somehow going to wembury and then to Bovisand and back. Lots of lovely hills there too. But i feel fine now and am looking forward to a big ride tomorrow. ( should be up to 75 miles now, so it is going to be a long day tomorrow ...)
As well as being lazy on the cycling i have got really lazy on the fundraising front too, so will need to kick start that again this month to get the final amount. Still haven't managed to get any sporty shots either as my camera is completely not functioning any more and the computer's not much better either. My dad did take a couple of shots of me in the back garden with the bike, but they are not really very sporty looking and i'm not sure it will motivate people to sponsor me any more than the halloween pic keira took of me looking like i have a rolled up cat under my coat(The only picture i could find of me amongst hundreds of my kids)
As for the bike, i've had all sorts of teething problems that i am still trying to sort out. After discovering that my arms were shaking more than my legs after my 40 miler i sought advice from my fellow london to paris cyclists and was advised to (amongst other things) try raising the seat and taking it back a bit, and potentially raising the stem etc. I decided to have a bike alteration/maintenence afternoon in the garden one day and as well as adjusting things i also did all the necessary lubrication of the gears etc, and then discovered when checking that the wheels were running freely that the back wheel did one revolution and then promptly stopped due to the brake adhering( That would account for the constant feeling of resistance even when cycling on the flat then.... i did 40 miles like that, no wonder i was kanckered) So i had a tinker with the brakes as well... which resulted in me rendering my bike useless for the rest of the week. I,ve kind of sorted it now but the brakes were a bit squealy returning from work today. Still i finally have my delayed 6 week bike service next week)
And as for the fit Physique. Well that kind of got ruined a bit by Mother's day chocolates from keira, chocolates to cheer me up from james, and a recent pre easter chocolate digestives and chocolate fingers dipped in tea habit that seems to happen every year. Oh dear, must burn it all off tomorrow.
Yours, photoless and shapeless
Kimbo